INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  PUBLICATIONS 

VOLUME  V  NUMBER  1 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 


THE  UNION  LIGHT  GUARD  OF  OHIO 


WITH  SOME  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 
ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 


BY 


ROBERT  McBRIDE 

LATE  CORPORAL  AND  COMPANY  CLERK 


INDIANAPOLIS 

EDWARD  J.  HECKER,  PRINTER 

1911 


'.V/ 


/: 


•  '♦'•V  A 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  PUBLICATIONS 

VOLUME  V  NUMBER  1 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 


THE  UNION  LIGHT  GUARD  OF  OHIO 


WITH  SOME  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 
ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 


BY 


ROBERT  W.  McBRIDE 

LATE  CORPORAL  AND  COMPANY  CLERK 


INDIANAPOLIS 

EDWARD  J.  HECKER.  PRINTER 

1911 


p 


PREFATORY 

This  booklet  is  not  intended  as  a  contribution  to  either 
literature  or  history.  It  is  intended  as  a  mere  token  of 
remembrance  among  comrades.  As  memory  reaches 
back  through  the  years,  my  heart  turns  to  those  com- 
rades of  mine  who,  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  most  deadly 
conflicts  the  world  has  ever  known,  volunteered  to  go  as 
soldiers  on  a  special  service,  the  nature  of  which  none  of 
them  knew.  They  only  knew  that  they  were  going  in  the 
service  of  their  country,  but  they  also  knew  that  in  that 
day,  wherever  men  followed  the  old  flag,  death  trod  on 
the  heels  of  duty.  It  seems  to  me  that  at  that  stage  of  the 
war,  men  who  volunteered  for  an  unknown  and  special 
service  were  entitled  to  as  much  credit  as  if  they  had  vol- 
unteered in  a  forlorn  hope. 

They  went,  expecting  to  face  danger,  and  were  disap- 
pointed when  they  were  denied  that  chance.  It  has  taken 
years  to  efface  that  disappointment  and  bring  to  them  a 
tardy  realization  that  their  service  was  as  honorable  as  if 
they  had  actually  challenged  death  on  the  field  of  battle. 

R.  W.  McB. 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

The  Union  Light  Guard,  otherwise  known  as  the 
Seventh  Independent  Company  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Cav- 
alry, was  organized  by  Governor  David  Tod,  of  Ohio, 
during  the  months  of  November  and  December,  1863,  for 
special  service,  the  nature  of  which  was  not  disclosed  to 
the  members  of  the  company  until  some  time  after  it  was 
mustered  into  the  service.  The  original  intention  was  to 
select  one  man  from  each  county  in  the  State,  and  the 
militarv  committees  of  the  several  counties  were  re- 
quested  each  to  select  a  representative  for  their  county, 
and  furnish  him  transportation  to  Columbus.  Some  of 
the  counties  being  slow  in  responding,  other  counties 
were  allowed  to  furnish  men  to  make  up  the  deficiency. 
Their  enlistment  was  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war, 
and  they  were  mustered  into  the  service  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  December  17,  1863,  by  Captain  Elmer  Otis,  Fourth 
United  States  Cavalry,  acting  as  mustering  officer.  They 
left  Columbus  for  Washington,  D.  C,  December  22,  1863, 
via  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  and  the  B.  &  O.  railroad.  On 
arrival  at  Washington  they  reported  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  and  were  first  assigned  to  barracks  located  a  few 
squares  southwest  of  the  War  Department.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  company  then  learned  for  the  first  time  that 
the  special  service  for  which  they  were  enlisted  was  to 
act  as  a  bodyguard  or  mounted  escort  for  President 
Lincoln.  Later,  barracks  were  built  for  the  company  in 
Avhat  has  since  been  known  as  the  "White  Lot,"  then 
called  the  Treasury  Park.  The  barracks  were  directly 
south  of  the  Treasury  Department  and  opposite  E  street. 


b  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

The  stables  in  which  the  company  horses  were  kept  were 
on  the  north  side  of  E  street,  adjacent  to  Fifteenth  street, 
and  occupied  a  part  of  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the 
Albaug-h  Opera  House.  A  part  of  the  company  was 
assigned  to  duty  at  the  White  House,  while  others  were 
detailed  to  various  points  in  and  around  Washington,  a 
large  number  being  sent  to  the  Virginia  side  of  the  river, 
and  scattered  among  the  forts  constituting  the  defenses 
of  Washington,  from  a  point  opposite  Georgetown  to  a 
point  below  Alexandria. 

During  the  summer  months  President  Lincoln  spent 
his  nights  at  the  Soldiers'  Home,  near  Washington,  and 
the  company  escorted  him  from  the  White  House  to  the 
home  and  returning. 

The  company  continued  in  the  service  after  the  assassi- 
nation of  President  Lincoln  until  September  9,  1865,  when 
it  was  mustered  out  at  Washington,  D.  C,  by  H.  C. 
Strong,  First  Lieutenant  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

Taking  the  company  as  a  whole,  the  membership  was 
much  above  that  of  the  average  company  of  soldiers,  in- 
tellectually, morally,  socially  and  physically.  The  mys- 
tery concerning  the  special  service  for  which  the  com- 
pany was  organized,  and  the  care  taken  in  their  selection, 
spurred  the  imagination  and  led  its  members  to  hope  and 
believe  that  they  would  be  given  a  chance  to  write  their 
names  high  on  the  nation's  roll  of  honor.  There  was 
bitter  disappointment  when  the  men  found  themselves 
condemned  to  that  which  they  felt  was  a  service  of  "in- 
glorious inactivity,"  and  earnest  eflforts  were  made  by 
members  of  the  company  and  by  others  in  their  behalf  to 
have  the  company  assigned  to  duty  at  the  front,  where  it 
could  share  in  the  activities  and  dangers  of  real  warfare. 
These  efforts  elicited  a   stern  reminder  from   the   great 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  7 

War  Secretary  that  a  soldier's  first  duty  was  unquestion- 
ing obedience  to  the  orders  of  his  superiors,  and  an 
equally  stern  admonition  to  our  Captain  that  it  would  go 
hard  with  him  if  the  department  was  ever  again  annoyed 
by  receiving  further  requests  of  that  character.  \Yq  were 
also  reminded  from  other  sources  that,  as  soldiers  were 
needed  for  that  particular  duty,  if  we  were  sent  to  the 
front  others  must  come  from  the  front  to  take  our  places, 
and  that  we  could  serve  our  country  as  faithfully  and  as 
well  by  cheerfully  discharging  the  duties  assigned  to  us 
as  we  could  possibly  do  on  the  field  of  battle.  Aided  by 
the  perspective  of  time,  we  can  now  realize  the  truth  of 
this  as  we  then  could  not.  We  can  also  now  realize,  as 
we  could  not  at  that  time,  the  honor  of  having  been  spe- 
cially chosen  as  the  personal  escort  and  bodyguard  of  one 
of  the  greatest  of  Americans  and  greatest  of  men. 

The  company  had  its  share  of  unpleasant  experiences 
which  were  best  forgotten,  and  when  its  members  re- 
turned to  their  homes  after  being  mustered  out  it  is  prob- 
able that  a  majority  of  them  would  have  considered  a 
blank  page  as  the  best  record  of  their  war  service.  Espe- 
cially so,  when  they  began  to  touch  elbows  with  those 
who  bore  the  scars  of  battle  and  listen  to  their  tales  of 
camp  and  campaign. 

Now,  however,  we  know  that  those  same  battle-scarred 
veterans  would  have  been  glad  at  any  time  to  have 
changed  places  with  us,  and,  instead  of  regarding  service 
as  the  personal  bodyguard  of  Abraham  Lincoln  as  "in- 
glorious." they  esteem  it  to  have  been  a  service  of  high 
honor.  One  distinguished  ollficer  who  had  won  honor  in 
the  field  declared  that  he  would  rather  have  been  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Union  Light  Guard  than  a  brigadier  general  in 
any  other  service. 


8  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

Since  the  war  several  efforts  have  been  made  to  hold 
reunions  of  the  company,  but  the  membership  was  found 
to  be  so  scattered  that  none  of  these  efforts  met  with  very 
great  success.  A  number  of  the  members  of  the  com- 
pany got  together  twice  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  but  no  record 
was  kept  of  the  meetings,  and  there  is  now  no  means  of 
knowing  how  many  and  who  attended.  During  the 
National  Encampment  held  in  Cincinnati,  in  1898,  the 
following  ten  members  met: 

Martin  Gorman,  Defiance,  Ohio. 

John  C.  Rhodes,  Urbana,  Ohio. 

Theodore  F.  Bailey,  Delaware,  Ohio. 

O.  H.  Spencer.  Ironton,  Ohio. 

Milton  Koogle,  Bellefontaine,  Ohio. 

Nelson  Tway,  Kile,  Madison  county,  Ohio. 

Marshall    D.   Ellis.   843    Elm   street,    Indianapolis, 
Indiana. 

G.    C.    Ashmun,    794   Republic    street,    Cleveland. 
Ohio. 

David  Banker,  Jr.,  Poast  Town,  Ohio. 

Robert  W.  McBride,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 
No  attempt  was  made  at  that  time  to  effect  an  organi- 
zation. Another  attempt  was  made  to  hold  a  reunion  at 
Toledo,  Ohio,  during  the  National  Encampment  in  1908. 
As  a  result  the  following  nine  members  got  together  at 
that  time : 

G.  C.  Ashmun,  1965  East  One  Hundred  and  First 
street,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

A.  T.  Brechbill,  122  Seneca  street.  Defiance,  Ohio. 

G.  G.  Banks,  Antwerp,  Ohio.  R.  F.  D.  No.  3. 

George  F.  Laubender,  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois. 

M.  B.  Gorman,  Defiance,  Ohio. 

John  Crowe,  Defiance,  Ohio. 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  9 

Smith  Stimmel,  Casselton,  North  Dakota. 

Paul  Metzger,  Salem,  Ohio. 

Robert  W.  McBride,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 
A  permanent  organization  was  effected,  with  Lieu- 
tenant G.  C.  Ashmun  as  president,  and  Robert  W.  Mc- 
Bride as  secretary.  At  that  time  it  was  decided  that  an 
effort  should  be  made  to  locate  all  the  survivors  of  the 
company,  and  that  for  the  future  the  members  should  try 
to  keep  in  closer  touch  with  each  other.  The  writer  un- 
dertook to  prepare,  publish  and  distribute  a  brief  outline 
sketch  of  the  company's  organization,  and  of  its  service, 
with  a  copy  of  its  original  roster,  and  the  addresses  of  its 
survivors  so  far  as  they  could  be  obtained.  This  promise 
was  kept,  and  the  promised  sketch  was  published  and 
sent  to  such  of  the  survivors  as  had  then  been  located. 
Since  that  time  five  additional  survivors  have  been  found, 
while  at  least  four  of  those  who  were  then  living  have 
since  died. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  original  roster  of  the 
company : 

George  A.  Bennett,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

Arthur  W.  White,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

J.  B.  Jameson,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

Horace  S.  Fuller,  Warren,  Ohio,  clerk. 

William  P.  Anderson.  Marysville,  Ohio,  editor. 

Paul  Metzger,  Salem,  Ohio,  student. 

George  C.  Ashmun,  Talmage,  Ohio,  teacher. 

Josiah  Chance,  Perrysburgh,  Ohio,  teacher. 

David  N.  Jones,  Delaware,  Ohio,  farmer. 

Samuel  Gulp,  Waldo,  Ohio,  farmer. 

Webster  M.  Adams,  Findlay,  Ohio,  painter. 

Ephraim  Adamson,  Cambridge,  Ohio,  farmer. 

Edward  P.  Brown,  Lima,  Ohio,  carpenter. 


10  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

Frederick  R.  Baker.  Avon.  Ohio,  farmer. 
Albert  G.  Bacon,  Bucyrus.  Ohio,  stonecutter. 
Frank  A.  Baird,  Zanesville.  Ohio,  student. 
Homer  Barnes,  Delaware,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Thomas  B.  Ball.  Marysville.  Ohio,  shoemaker. 
John  I.  Burnham,  West  Jefferson,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Henry  C.  Baird,  Zanesville,  Ohio,  miller. 
Theodore  F.  Bailey,  Delaware,  Ohio,  farmer. 
William  P.  Bogardus,  Four  Corners,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Abraham  T.  Brechbill,  Defiance.  Ohio,  clerk. 
George  G.  Banks,  Antwerp.  Ohio,  farmer. 
Lemuel  A.  Brandeberry.  Delaware,  Ohio,  dentist. 
William  I.  Barbour,  Marysville.  Ohio,  clerk. 
David  Banker,  Middletown,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Cornelius  Curran,  Logan.  Ohio. 
Edward  W.  Crockett,  Napoleon,  Ohio,  farmer. 
John  Crowe,  Defiance,  Ohio,  merchant. 
George  W.  Cruni.  Fremont,  Ohio,  merchant. 
Asa  C.  Cassidy,  Zanesville.  Ohio,  farmer. 
John  W.  Custer.  Lima,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Daniel  H.  Conditt,  Newark.  Ohio,  painter. 
Henry  G.  Clark,  Lockburn,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Hiram  Cook,  Circleville.  Ohio,  carpenter. 
Robert  J.  Cox,  Delaware.  Ohio. 
Henry  Cutler,  Harrisville,  Ohio,  carriage  maker. 
Jeremiah  N.  Dunn,  Mt.  Gilead,  Ohio,  teacher. 
Edward  P.  Dolbear,  Delaware,  Ohio,  printer. 
David  J.  Elliott,  Sidney,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Thomas  J.  Everett,  Millersburg,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Marshall  D.  Ellis,  Eldorado,  Ohio,  student. 
Joseph  Fulkerson,  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  bricklayer. 
John  F.  Field,  Columbus,  Ohio,  farmer. 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  11 

Gilbert    N.    Gilley,    McConnellsville,    Ohio,    car- 
penter. 
Martin  Gorman,  Defiance,  Ohio,  clerk. 
William  Gassoway,  Smithfield,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Robert  H.  Hyde,  Wauseon,  Ohio,  clerk. 
Frederick  T.  Hard,  Norwalk,  Ohio,  clerk. 
/Vsa  R.  Hughes,  Delaware,  Ohio,  student. 
Samuel  P.  Haverfield,  Cadiz,  Ohio,  dentist. 
John  Holmes,  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  farmer. 
William  P.  Hopkins,  Ravenna,  Ohio,  clerk. 
Lemuel  T.  Hibbard,  Defiance,  Ohio,  tinner. 
William  H.  Hughes,  Wilmington,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Peter  Ingle,  Delaware,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Alfred  Jordan,  Springfield,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Jefiferson  Koontz,  Canton,  Ohio,  plasterer. 
John  F.  Kellar,  Caldwell,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Milton  Koogle,  Lebanon,  Ohio,  carriage  maker. 
Joseph  W.  Lawrence,  Marysville,  Ohio,  printer. 
George  F.  Laubender,  Millersburg,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Samuel  Lynn,  Delaware,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Frank  P.  Lutz,  Circleville,  Ohio,  clerk. 
John  W.  Minor,  Eaton,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Ira  L.  Morris,  Troy,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Robert  W.  McBride,  Mansfield,  Ohio,  clerk. 
Andrew  Mayfield,  Norton,  Ohio,  farmer. 
James  W.  Mayfield,  Delaware,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Thomas  W.  McClellan,  Eaton,  Ohio,  farmer. 
Lewis  M.  Meeker,  Canfield,  Ohio,  hotel  keeper. 
George  Orman,  Lancaster,  Ohio,  carpenter. 
George  H.  Piatt,  Toledo,  Ohio,  merchant. 
Henry  P.  Pyle,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  clerk. 
Nathaniel  M.  T.  Page,  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  clerk. 
Thomas  R.  Plummer,  Wauseon,  Ohio,  merchant. 


12  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

George  S.  Rowan,  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  cooper. 

Samuel  H.  Rulon,  Wilmington,  Ohio,  dentist. 

Mark  B.  Robinson,  Miamisville,  Ohio,  farmer. 

John  W.  Ray,  London,  Ohio,  teacher. 

Luther  B.  Ricketts,  New  Philadelphia,  Ohio,  clerk. 

James  D.  Raikes,  Cambridge,  Ohio,  engineer. 

John  C.  Rhodes,  Urbana,  Ohio,  clerk. 

John  Q.  A.  Redd,  Lebanon,  Ohio,  baker. 

Levi  j\L  Rodecker,  Woodsfield,  Ohio,  artist. 

Smith  Stimmell,  Lockburn,  Ohio,  farmer. 

David  G.  Spaulding,  Delaware,  Ohio,  carpenter. 

Charles  C.  Smucker,  Newark,  Ohio,  tinner. 

Judson  A.  Spaulding,  Delaware,  Ohio,  carpenter. 

Benjamin  F.  Summers,  London,  Ohio,  artist. 

William  A.  Scott,  New  Philadelphia,  Ohio,  mer- 
chant. 

Oscar  H.  Spencer,  McArthur,  Ohio,  watchmaker. 

Emery  C.  Swank.  Canfield,  Ohio,  painter. 

Barton  W.  Swerer,  Brady  Station,  Ohio,  teacher. 

Charles  S.  Blade,  Wapakoneta,  Ohio,  farmer. 

Zebulon  Sparks,  New  Philadelphia.  Ohio. 

Imri  Smalley,  Jefiferson,  Ohio,  painter. 

George  Terry,  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  clerk. 

Alva  R.  Tichenor.  Lebanon,  Ohio,  clerk. 

Nelson  Tway,  ]\Iarysille,  Ohio,  farmer. 

Silas  B.  Thompson,  New  Concord,  Ohio,  car- 
penter. 

Wilson  W^hite,  Newark,  Ohio,  painter. 

Joshua  M.  Yeo,  Lebanon,  Ohio,  clerk. 

William  Cook,  Columbus,  Ohio,  colored  cook. 

William  Davis,  Columbus,  Ohio,  colored  cook. 

John  Carter,  Columbus,  Ohio,  colored  cook. 

James  Robinson,  Columbus,  Ohio,  colored  cook. 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  13 

The  following  named  members  of  the  company  died 
while  in  the  service  : 

Samuel  Gulp. 

David  J.  Elliott. 

Benjamin  F.  Summers. 
The  following  named  members  were  discharged  before 
the  end  of  their  time  of  service : 

Captain  George  A.  Bennett, 

First  Lieutenant  Arthur  W.  White, 

Imri  Smalley, 

David  N.  Jones, 

Henry  C.  Baird, 

John  Growe, 

Gornelius  Gurran, 

Robert  J.  Cox, 

John  W.  Custer, 

Edward  P.  Dolbear, 

George  W.  Donely, 

John  F.  Field, 

Frederick  T.  Hard, 

Peter  Ingle, 

Milton  Koogle, 

Jefferson  Koontz, 

James  W.  Mayfield, 

Paul  Metzger, 

John  W.  Minor, 

John  W.  Ray, 

Zebulon  Sparks, 

Judson  A.  Spaulding, 

Oscar  H.  Spencer, 

Wilson  White, 

John  Carter, 

William  Cook, 


14  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

William  Davis, 
James  Robinson. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  B.  Jameson  was  promoted  to 
First  Lieutenant  December  2L  1864. 

George  C.  Ashmun  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant 
February  8,  1865. 

The  following  named  members  of  the  company  were 
commissioned  in  other  commands : 

Josiah  Chance,  promoted  to  Captain  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-seventh  Regiment  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  Sep- 
tember 13,  1864. 

William  P.  Bogardus,  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant 
Twenty-fourth  Regiment  V.  S.  Colored  Troops,  March 
6,  1865. 

Jeremiah  ]\I.  Dunn,  promoted  to  Captain  Tw^enty-ninth 
Regiment  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  September  26,  1864. 

Marshall  D.  Ellis,  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant  L  .  S. 
Colored  Troops,  April  21,  1865. 

Luther  B.  Ricketts,  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant 
One  Hundred  and  Second  Regiment  U.  S.  Colored 
Troops,  May  6,  1865. 

Joshua  M.  Yeo,  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  and  Ad- 
jutant One  Hundred  and  Ninety-sixth  O.  V.  I.,  March 
30,  1865. 

With  one  exception  the  remaining  members  of  the  com- 
pany were  mustered  out  together,  as  a  company,  Septem- 
ber 9,  1865.  The  one  exception  was  Mark  B.  Robinson, 
who  was  on  detached  duty,  and  was  not  mustered  out  un- 
til November  24,  1865. 

As  a  result  of  patient  and  persistent  inquiry  and  cor- 
respondence, the  following  survivors  were  located: 
Arthur  W.  White,  Bostwick,  Nebraska. 
Horace  S.  Fuller,  Crete,  Nebraska. 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  15 

Wm.  P.  Anderson,  450  Nineteenth  street,  N.  W., 
Washington,  D.  C,  Treasury  Department. 

Paul  Metzger,  Salem,  Ohio. 

George  C.  Ashmun,  1965  East  One  Hundred  and 
First  street,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Ephraim  Adamson,  Mowequa,  Illinois. 

Edward  P.  Brown,  Zebra,  Missouri. 

John  I.  Burnham,  San  Jose,  California. 

Henry  C.  Baird,  Zanesville.  Ohio, 

Theodore  F.  Bailey,  Delaware,  Ohio. 

William  P.  Bogardus,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio. 

Abraham  T.  Brechbill,  122  Seneca  street.  Defiance, 
Ohio. 

George  G.  Banks,  Antwerp,  Ohio,  R.  F.  D.  No.  3. 

John  Crowe,  Defiance,  Ohio. 

Hiram  Cook,  Circleville,  Ohio. 

Robert  J.  Cox,  Delaware,  Ohio. 

Marshall  D.  Ellis,  120  Massachusetts  avenue,  N. 
W.,  Washington.  D.  C. 

Joseph  Fulkerson,   55   vSouder  avenue,  Columbus. 
Ohio. 

Martin  Gorman.  Defiance,  Ohio. 

William    H.    Hughes,    41    W.    McCreight    street, 
Springfield,  Ohio. 

John  F.  Kellar,  Crookston,  Nebraska. 

Milton  Koogle,  Bellefontaine,  Ohio. 

George  F.  Laubender,  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois. 

Samuel    Lynn,    Bentonville,    Benton    county,    Ar- 
kansas. 

Frank  P.  Lutz,  38  Block  K,  Peublo,  Colorado. 

Robert   W.   McBride,    1434   Park   avenue,   Indian- 
apolis, Indiana. 

Andrew  Mayfield,  Norton,  Delaware  county,  Ohio. 


16  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

James    W.    Mayfield,    Norton,    Delaware    county, 
Ohio. 

George  Orman,  Lancaster,  Ohio. 

Nathaniel   M.   T.   Page,   Cuba,   Crawford   county, 
Missouri. 

James  D.  Raikes,  901  Concannon  street,  Moberly, 
Missouri. 

John  C.  Rhodes,  Urbana,  Ohio. 

Smith  Stimmell,  Casselton,  North  Dakota. 

Charles  C.  Smucker,  675  Neil  avenue,  Columbus, 
Ohio. 

Oscar  A.  Spencer.  Circleville,  Ohio. 

Emery  C.  Swank,  Soldiers'  Home,  Sandusky,  Ohio. 

George  Terry,  Arbatross  street,  San  Diego,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Nelson  Tway,  Kileville,  Ohio. 

Joshua  ]\I.  Yeo,  Chillicothe,  Ohio. 

Jefferson   Koontz,   1754  Pennsylvania  avenue,  N. 
W.,  Washington.  D.  C. 

David  N.  Jones,  Brock,  Nebraska. 

Thomas  W.  McClellan,  Pacific  Grove,  California. 

John  W.  Ray,  Guthrie,  Oklahoma. 

William  Davis  (colored),  602  Court  street.  Charles- 
ton, West  Virginia. 
Since  that  time  I  have  received  notice  of  the  death  of 
the  following: 

William  P.  Anderson,  died  December,  1910. 

Edward  P.  Brown,  died  February  20,  1910. 

Marshall  D.  Ellis,  died  1909. 

David  N.  Jones,  died  October  4,  1909. 
Others  reported  as  dead  are  as  follows : 

J.  B.  Jameson, 

Josiah  Chance, 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  17 

Samuel  Gulp, 
Webster  M.  Adams, 
Frederick  R.  Baker, 
Frank  A.  Baird, 
Homer  Barnes, 
Thomas  B.  Ball, 
Lemuel  A.  Brandeberry, 
William  I.  Barbour, 
David  Banker, 
Edward  W.  Crockett, 
George  W.  Crum, 
Asa  C.  Cassidy, 
John  W.  Custer, 
Henry  G.  Clark, 
Daniel  H.  Conditt, 
Jeremiah  N.  Dunn, 
Edward  P.  Dolbear, 
David  A.  Elliott, 
Thomas  J.  Everett, 
John  F.  Field, 
Gilbert  N.  Gilley, 
William  Gassoway, 
Robert  H.  Hyde, 
Frederick  T.  Hard, 
Asa  R.  Hughes, 
Samuel  P.  Haverfield, 
John  W.  Holmes, 
William  B.  Hopkins, 
Lemuel  T.  Hibbard, 
Peter  Ingle, 
Joseph  W.  Lawrence, 
John  W.  Minor, 
Ira  L.  Morris, 


18  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

Lewis  M.  Meeker, 

George  H.  Piatt, 

Henry  P.  Pyle, 

Thomas  R.  Plummer, 

George  S.  Rowan, 

Samuel  H.  Rulon, 

Mark  B.  Robinson, 

Luther  B.  Ricketts, 

John  Q.  A.  Redd, 

Levi  M.  Rodecker, 

David  G.  Spaulding. 

Judson  A.  Spaulding, 

Benjamin  F.  Summers. 

William  A.  Scott, 

Barton  W.  Swerer, 

Charles  S.  Slade, 

Zebulon  Sparks, 

Imri  Smalley, 

Alva  R.  Tichenor, 

Wilson  White. 
The  following  relatives  of  deceased  members  of  the 
company  have  also  been  heard  from : 

Lieut.  P.  G.  Banker,  Middletown,  Ohio,  son  of 
David  Banker. 

Lieut.  William  E.  Crockett,  Napoleon,  Ohio,  son  of 
Edward  W.  Crockett. 

D.  Harry  Conditt,  311  Market  street,  Camden, 
New  Jersey,  son  of  Daniel  H.  Conditt. 

Mrs.  Ada  H.  Gassoway,  1423  O  street,  N.  E., 
Washington,  D.  C,  widow  of  William  Gasso- 
way. 

Mrs.  A.  W.  Rodecker,  Lancaster,  Ohio,  widow  of 
Levi  M.  Rodecker. 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  19 

Mrs.  Irene  Scott,  New  Cumberland,  Ohio,  widow 
of  William  A.  Scott. 
No  trace  has  been  found  of  the  following: 
George  A.  Bennett, 
Albert  G.  Bacon, 
Cornelius  Curran, 
Henry  Cutler, 
Silas  B.  Thompson. 
Of  the  four  colored  men  who  were  enlisted  as  cooks, 
the  only   one   I   have   succeeded   in   locating  is   William 
Davis,    who    has    been    connected    with    the    schools    of 
Charleston,  West  Virginia,  for  a  great  many  years. 

In  connection  with  the  sketch  of  the  company  was  pub- 
lished some  of  the  writer's  personal  recollections  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  Since  that  publication  the  Indiana  State 
Historical  Society  has  interested  itself  in  the  company 
because  of  its  association  with  Abraham  Lincoln,  whose 
boyhood  was  spent  among  the  pioneers  of  southern  Indi- 
ana, and  at  their  request  some  additional  personal  recol- 
lections have  been  added  and  are  now  included  herein. 

It  is  a  long  step  from  the  President  of  the  L^nited  States 
to  a  corporal  of  cavalry,  and  yet  when  the  President  is 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  the  corporal  happens  to  be  a  mem- 
ber of  his  bodyguard,  he  may  in  after  years  have  memo- 
ries of  the  President  worth  treasuring.  He  may  not  have 
seen  much  of  the  President ;  he  may  not  have  any  mem- 
ories of  Cabinet  meetings,  of  the  preparation  of  state  pa- 
pers, or  social  or  state  functions,  but  he  may  have  seen 
enough  of  the  man  to  supply  him  with  memories  of  many 
things  that  will  bear  telling. 

To  those  familiar  with  the  city  of  Washington  during 
the  time  of  the  Civil  War  it  was  not  surprising  that  Lin- 


20  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

coin  was  assassinated.  The  surprising  thing-  to  them  was 
that  it  was  so  long  delayed.  It  is  probable  that  the  only 
man  in  Washington  who,  if  he  thought  upon  the  subject 
at  all,  did  not  think  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  in  constant 
and  imminent  danger,  was  Mr.  Lincoln  himself.  The 
city  was  filled  with  Southern  sympathizers,  and  could 
easily  be  entered  by  men  coming  from  beyond  the  rebel 
lines.  The  feeling  against  Mr.  Lincoln  as  the  chosen 
leader  of  those  battling  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Union 
was,  of  course,  intensely  bitter.  Even  in  the  North  he 
was  constantly  abused  and  villified,  characterized  as  a 
tyrant  and  monster,  while  articles  appeared  daily  in  many 
of  the  newspapers  the  tendency  of  which  was  to  incite  to 
his  murder.  It  is  said  that  it  was  with  reluctance,  and 
only  upon  the  urgent  solicitation  of  the  great  War  Secre- 
tary, Edwin  M.  Stanton,  and  others,  that  he  consented  to 
have  a  guard  stationed  at  the  White  House  and  a  com- 
pany of  cavalry  assigned  as  his  mounted  escort. 

A  company  of  infantry  from  one  of  Pennsylvania's  fa- 
mous regiments  of  "Bucktails"  was  camped  in  the 
grounds  just  south  of  the  White  House,  and  a  daily  detail 
from  its  ranks  was  posted  in  front  of  the  House,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  great  portico,  the  beats  of  the  sentinels 
beginning  on  each  side  of  the  entrance  and  running  east 
and  west  about  as  far  as  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the 
main  building.  Posted  thus,  they  were  more  ornamental 
than  useful.  They  were  not  allowed  to  challenge  or  stop 
any  person  who  sought  to  enter  the  White  House,  and 
its  doors  opened  then  as  freely  to  visitors  as  they  do 
to-day. 

A  company  from  a  New  York  regiment  of  cavalry, 
known  as  "Scott's  Nine  Hundred,"  was  his  original  cav- 
alry escort,  but  in  1863  Governor  David  Tod,  of  Ohio, 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  21 

tendered  the  services  of  a  picked  company  of  cavalry 
from  that  State.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  in  Decem- 
ber of  1863  the  company,  108  men  strong,  reached  Wash- 
ington. The  company  was  known  as  the  "Union  Light 
Guard,"  or  "Seventh  Independent  Squadron  of  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Cavalry."  From  that  time  until  it  was  mustered 
out  of  service,  on  the  9th  day  of  September,  1865,  it  was 
the  mounted  escort  or  bodyguard  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
and  of  his  successor  in  office. 

It  was  quartered  in  barracks  in  what  is  now  known  as 
the  White  Lot,  but  which  was  then  known  as  the  Treas- 
ury Park.  In  those  days  the  White  House  grounds 
proper  only  extended  south  to  a  line  running  east  and 
west  from  the  south  end  of  the  Treasury  Department 
building  to  Seventeenth  street.  It  was  bounded  on  the 
south  by  a  stone  wall  three  or  four  feet  in  height,  the  top 
of  the  wall  being  on  a  level  with  the  White  House 
grounds.  South  of  that,  and  extending  to  the  old  canal, 
which  ran  immediately  north  of  the  then  unfinished 
Washington  monument,  was  the  Treasury  Park,  a  great 
commons  with  a  few  small  scattering  trees  and  a  half- 
mile  race  track.  The  barracks  were  south  of  the  Treas- 
ury Department,  on  the  west  side  of  Fifteenth  street, 
facing  D  and  E  streets.  Their  horses  were  stabled  on  the 
grounds  now  occupied  by  Albaugh's  Opera  House,  and 
were  picketed  and  groomed  on  Fifteenth  street. 

It  was  while  serving  as  a  member  of  this  company  that 
I  had  many  opportunities  to  see  Mr.  Lincoln.  The  utter 
inadequacy  of  the  measures  taken  for  his  protection  will 
be  understood  in  some  measure  when  I  describe  how  I 
first  saw  him. 

It  was  after  midnight  of  a  January  night  in  1864.  The 
approaches  to  the  White  House  and  the  great  portico  on 


22  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

its  front  were  lighted  by  flickering  gas  jets,  for  that  was 
before  the  days  of  electric  lighting.  The  two  great  iron 
gates  which  guarded  the  driveways  from  Pennsylvania 
avenue  were  open,  but  on  each  side  of  each  gate  was  a 
mounted  cavalryman,  the  detail  from  the  Union  Light 
Guard.  Dismounted  and  lounging  against  the  stone  sup- 
ports of  the  portico  was  the  cavalry  corporal  of  the  guard, 
his  horse  being  picketed  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  (On 
that  particular  evening  I  happened  to  be  the  corporal  of 
the  guard.)  The  two  "Bucktails"  were  pacing  their 
beats.  From  the  end  of  the  beat  of  the  sentinel  on  the 
east  side  a  walk  ran  to  the  Treasury  Department,  and  just 
north  of  this  path  stood  the  White  House  stables,  inside 
a  square-trimmed  hedge  of  boxwood,  probably  tvv-o  and 
one-half  or  three  feet  high.  From  the  end  of  the  beat  of 
the  sentinel  on  the  west  side  a  path  paved  wnth  brick  ran 
westward  to  the  old  War  Department,  a  dingy-looking 
old  brick  building  of  the  dry  goods  box  style  of  architec- 
ture, occupying  a  part  of  the  north  end  of  the  ground  now 
covered  by  the  magnificent  State  and  War  Department 
building.  South  of  it,  fronting  on  Seventeeth  street,  and 
separated  from  the  War  Department  a  short  distance,  was 
another  old-time  brick  structure,  resembling  it  in  archi- 
tectural ugliness,  and  occupied  by  the  Navy  Department. 
The  space  between  the  White  House  and  War  Depart- 
ment contained  a  number  of  great  forest  trees,  making  a 
beautiful  little  park  in  daylight ;  but  at  night,  lighted  only 
by  the  wavering  beams  of  a  solitary  gas  jet,  it  was  a  place 
of  shadov/s  and  gloom.  The  path  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment ran  along  the  south  end  of  this  little  park,  under 
the  shadow  of  the  trees.  Just  south  of  the  path  was  a 
brick  wall,  probably  five  or  six  feet  in  height,  easily 
scaled,  enclosing  what  was  then  called  the  White  House 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  23 

gardens.  Lights  shone  in  only  a  few  of  the  windows  of 
the  White  House. 

The  front  door  opened,  and  a  tall,  rather  slender,  angu- 
lar looking  man  came  out  alone.  He  wore  a  long  black 
frock  coat,  and  a  silk  hat  of  the  peculiar  narrow,  high, 
straight  style  then  in  vogue.  The  hat  had  apparently 
either  seen  its  best  days  or  had  been  badly  cared  for,  as  it 
had  lost  its  shine,  and  the  nap  was  standing  on  end  in 
many  patches.  The  long  coat  and  the  high  hat  made  him 
seem  taller  and  more  slender  than  he  really  was. 

Closing  the  door,  he  clasped  his  hands  behind  his  back, 
and  with  head  bent  forward,  walked  slowly  toward  the 
front  of  the  portico.  At  this  the  cavalry  corporal  became 
suddenly  alert,  came  to  attention,  drew  his  saber,  and 
brought  it  to  a  carry ;  for,  thanks  to  the  illustrated  papers 
(Harper's  Weekly  and  Frank  Leslie),  he  had  recognized 
in  the  gaunt  figure  approaching  the  President  and  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  army,  to  whom  all  military  cour- 
tesy was  due. 

The  President  came  slowly  forward  until  he  reached 
the  steps,  and  there  stopped.  For  several  minutes  he 
stood,  seemingly  in  deep  thought,  and  apparently  giving 
no  heed  to  his  surroundings.  The  opportunity  to  observe 
him  closely  w^as  improved,  for  he  had  stopped  where  one 
of  the  gas  lights  shone  full  upon  him.  He  looked  care- 
worn and  weary.  His  features,  as  well  as  his  form,  were 
rugged  and  angular,  and  there  were  lines  in  his  face  that 
do  not  appear  in  his  portraits.  His  hat  was  set  back  far 
enough  to  show  a  high,  broad  forehead.  His  nose  and 
ears  were  large,  his  cheek  bones  prominent,  his  jaws 
square,  his  cheeks  slightly  sunken,  his  mouth  large,  and 
his  lips  full  and  rather  prominent.  His  eyes  were  bent 
downward  and  could  not  be  distinctl}'  seen.     His  face, 


24  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

around  his  mouth  and  a  portion  of  his  cheeks,  was 
smoothly  shaven,  but  his  chin  and  jaws  were  covered  with 
closely-trimmed  dark-colored  whiskers. 

He  came  down  the  steps,  and,  without  appearing  to  no- 
tice, gravely  lifted  his  hat  in  recognition  of  the  salute 
given,  and  turned  toward  the  War  Department.  With 
similar  gravity  he  acknowledged  the  salute  of  the  infan- 
tryman as  he  passed  him.  While  the  infantryman  at  once 
resumed  his  beat,  both  he  and  the  cavalryman  anxiously 
watched  the  tall  figure  as  it  passed  into  the  shadows  of 
the  great  trees,  and  I  know  of  one  of  them  whose  anxiety 
was  only  relieved  when  Mr.  Lincoln  was  seen  to  enter  the 
War  Department  building.  In  about  half  an  hour  he 
came  back,  still  alone.  This,  while  the  first,  was  only  one 
of  many  similar  occurrences,  for,  as  I  then  learned,  it  was 
his  frequent  and  almost  nightly  practice  thus  to  visit  the 
War  Department  before  going  to  bed.  that  he  might  have 
the  latest  news  from  the  front.  It  was  also  his  daily  prac- 
tice to  make  an  early  morning  visit  to  the  department.  I 
never  saw  him  attended  at  any  of  these  times.  He  always 
went  and  came  alone.  I  think,  however,  that  late  in  the 
fall  of  1864  a  member  of  the  police  force  in  plain  clothes 
attended  him  whenever  he  left  the  White  House. 

From  the  description  I  have  given  of  the  surroundings, 
it  can  be  seen  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for  an  assassin 
to  have  killed  him  while  he  was  on  one  of  these  solitary 
visits  to  the  War  Department,  and  how  little  actual  pro- 
tection was  given  him  by  the  guards  as  they  were  posted. 
The  evidence  on  the  trial  of  the  conspirators  showed  that 
they  knew  of  his  habit  of  visiting  the  War  Department, 
and  that  they  had  at  one  time  planned  to  abduct  him,  by 
seizing  him  on  a  dark  night,  while  in  the  shadows  of  the 
park,  lifting  him  over  the  brick  wall  that  bordered  the 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  25 

south  side  of  the  pathway,  and  hurrying  him  across  the 
Treasury  Park  to  a  vacant  house  belonging  to  a  rebel 
sympathizer,  where  he  could  be  kept  concealed  in  the  cel- 
lar until  he  could  be  taken  across  the  Potomac  in  a  boat. 
The  plan  was  practicable,  and  I  have  never  understood 
why  it  was  abandoned. 

The  next  morning  I  witnessed  an  interesting  scene. 
Mr.  Lincoln  came  out  and  started  toward  the  department, 
apparently  absorbed  in  thought.  The  infantry  sentinel 
presented  arms  as  he  approached,  but  Mr.  Lincoln 
walked  by  without  returning  the  salute.  The  soldier  re- 
•mained  standing  at  a  present  arms.  When  Mr.  Lincoln 
had  passed  him  nearly  or  quite  two  rods,  he  suddenly 
stopped,  turned  clear  around,  lifted  his  hat  and  bowed. 
His  manner  was  significant  of  his  kindly  nature.  It  was 
that  of  one  gentleman  apologizing  to  another  for  an  unin- 
tentional slight.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  not  a  military  man, 
yet  his  position  made  him  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
army  and  entitled  him  to  military  honors.  He  under- 
stood that  the  duty  of  an  officer  to  return  a  salute  was 
as  imperative  as  the  duty  of  the  soldier  to  give  it.  The 
humblest  private  in  the  ranks  is  entitled  to  have  his  sa- 
lute returned,  and  a  failure  to  return  it  is  an  afifront  and 
a  breach  of  military  courtesy.  When  Mr.  Lincoln  real- 
ized that  he  had  failed  to  recognize  the  salute  at  the 
proper  time  he  was  not  content  merely  to  return  it,  but 
in  his  manner  of  returning  it  tendered  an  ample  apology. 
I  asked  the  soldier  why  he  continued  standing  at  a  pre- 
sent after  the  President  had  passed  him  so  far.  He  ex- 
plained that  such  occurrences  were  common ;  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  absorbed  in  thought  he  frequently  passed 
the  sentry  without  returning  the  salute,  but  never  failed 
to  remember  before  he  had  gone  very  far,  and  invariably 
stopped,  when  he  did  remember,  and  returned  it. 


26  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

We  soon  learned  to  know  from  Mr.  Lincoln's  manner, 
as  he  returned  from  the  War  Department,  whether  the 
news  from  the  front  was  good  or  otherwise.  If  good,  he 
came  back  with  head  erect  and  arms  swinging.  His  coun- 
tenance was  bright,  and  he  usually  smiled  as  he  acknowl- 
edged the  salute.  If  the  news  from  the  front  was  not 
encouraging,  we  could  read  it  in  his  manner.  His  coun- 
tenance was  clouded,  and  he  frequently  walked  with 
bowed  head  and  hands  clasped  behind  his  back.  One 
night  there  was  an  alarm  of  fire.  The  White  House  sta- 
bles were  burning.  Those  of  us  who  were  early  on  the 
ground  saw  a  tall  and  hatless  man  come  running  from 
the  direction  of  the  White  House.  When  he  reached 
the  boxwood  hedge  that  served  as  an  enclosure  to  the 
stables  he  sprang  over  it  like  a  deer.  As  he  approached 
the  stable  he  inquired  if  the  horses  had  been  taken  out. 
On  learning  that  they  had  not,  he  asked  impatiently  why 
they  had  not,  and  with  his  own  hands  burst  open  the 
stable  door.  A  glance  within  showed  that  the  whole  in- 
terior of  the  stable  was  in  flames,  and  that  the  rescue  of 
the  horses  was  impossible.  Notwithstanding  this,  he 
would  apparently  have  rushed  in  had  not  those  standing 
around  caught  and  restrained  him.  It  suddenly  occurred 
to  some  one  that  possibly  the  stables  had  been  fired  for 
the  purpose  of  bringing  him  out  of  the  White  House  and 
giving  an  opportunity  to  assassinate  him.  Captain  Ben- 
nett, of  the  Union  Light  Guard,  and  some  others  imme- 
diately hurried  him  into  the  White  House,  while,  by  Cap- 
tain Bennett's  orders,  with  a  detail  of  the  men  of  our 
company,  I  took  charge  of  the  entrance,  remaining  there 
on  duty  for  several  hours. 

After  posting  the  sentinels,  I  went  inside.  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, with  others,  was  standing  in  the  East  room,  looking 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  27 

at  the  still  burning  stable.  He  was  weeping.  Little 
"Tad,"  his  youngest  son,  explained  his  father's  emotion. 
His  son  Willie  had  died  a  short  time  before.  He  was  his 
father's  favorite,  and  the  stable  contained  a  pony  that  had 
belonged  to  the  dead  boy.  The  thought  of  his  dead  child 
had  come  to  his  mind  as  soon  as  he  learned  the  stables 
were  on  fire,  and  he  had  rushed  out  to  try  to  save  the 
pony  from  the  flames. 

The  presidential  receptions  offered  another  opportunity 
for  the  assassin.  The  recent  tragic  death  of  President 
McKinley  shows  that  it  was  indeed  a  real  danger.  With 
feeling  running  so  high,  it  speaks  well  for  the  American 
character  that  some  fanatic  did  not  take  advantage  of  the 
license  afforded  by  the  presidential  receptions  to  assas- 
sinate him  as  President  McKinley  was  assassinated. 

At  those  receptions  Mr.  Lincoln,  like  other  Presidents, 
would  stand  for  hours  shaking  the  hands  of  all  who  came. 
For  hours  a  constant  stream  of  mixed  humanity  passed 
him.  The  clerk,  the  mechanic  and  the  laborer  from  the 
streets  would  elbow  the  millionaire  or  the  high  official, 
as  they  crowded  through,  and  the  President  greeted  all 
with  the  same  courtesy. 

During  a  public  reception  at  the  White  House,  on  an 
evening  in  March  of  1864,  while  standing  near  the  en- 
trance watching  the  crowds  as  they  came,  I  noticed  two 
officers  come  in  quietly  and  join  the  throng  passing 
around  to  the  right  to  reach  the  President.  One  wore  a 
close-cropped  brownish  colored  mustache  and  beard  that 
covered  his  entire  face.  His  uniform  showed  the  slight 
purplish  tinge  taken  on  by  the  military  uniform  in  those 
days  when  it  had  seen  much  service  in  the  field.  His 
shoulder  straps  were  those  of  a  major-general.  The 
other,  who  followed  him  closely,  also  wore  a  full  beard. 


28  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

which,  as  I  remember  it,  was  darker  than  that  of  his  com- 
panion, and  was  not  trimmed.  His  shoulder  straps  were 
those  of  a  brigadier-general.  Some  one  asked :  "Who 
are  they?"  Most  of  those  present  were  familiar  with  the 
general  officers  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  but  these 
were  strangers.  Suddenly  some  one  whispered  :  "That 
looks  like  the  picture  of  Grant  in  Harper's  Weekly,"  and 
then  the  word  went  round  that  it  was  General  Grant, 
with  General  Rawlings,  his  chief  of  staff.  General  Grant 
had  just  been  nominated  and  confirmed  as  lieutenant-gen- 
eral, and  had  come  East  to  receive  his  commission  and 
take  command  of  the  armies.  This  was  his  first  visit  to 
the  W^hite  House  during  the  war,  and  his  first  meeting 
with  Mr.  Lincoln.  I  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  them 
meet.  Mr.  Lincoln  recognized  General  Grant  before  he 
reached  him,  and,  contrary  to  his  usual  custom,  stepped 
forward  to  greet  him.  He  was  much  taller  than  General 
Grant,  and  when  he  clasped  his  hand  his  head  bent  down- 
ward as  he  looked  into  General  Grant's  eyes.  I  could 
not  hear  what  they  said.  The  crush  became  terrific,  as 
the  crowd  tried  to  get  near  enough  to  witness  the  meet- 
ing. With  other  members  of  my  company,  I  assisted  in 
clearing  the  way  for  General  Grant  to  escape  from  the 
crush.  Placing  him  and  Secretary  of  State  William  H. 
Seward  in  the  center,  we  formed  a  sort  of  football  wedge, 
and  thus  forced  our  way  through  the  crowd  and  across 
the  East  room.  On  the  east  side  of  the  East  room  was 
a  sofa,  on  which  Mr.  Seward  and  General  Grant  climbed. 
A  little  speech  from  Air.  Seward  and  a  little  energetic 
pushing  by  the  guard  started  the  throng  past  General 
Grant,  who  shook  hands  with  them  as  they  passed. 

Mr.  Lincoln  spent  the  summer  of  1864  at  the  Soldiers' 
Home,  going  out  from  the  city  in  the  evening  and  return- 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  29 

ing  in  the  morning.  A  detachment  of  the  guard  accom- 
panied him  as  his  escort  and  remained  at  the  Soldiers' 
Home  over  night.  Occasionally  Mr.  Lincoln  would  go 
among  the  men  and  chat  familiarly  with  them. 

Mr.  Lincoln's  manner  on  such  occasions  was  that  of 
one  having  a  genuine,  kindly  interest  in  the  members  of 
the  company  and  a  wish  to  learn  how  matters  looked 
from  their  point  of  view.  There  was  nothing  patronizing 
about  it,  nor  anything  savoring  of  condescension  or  su- 
perciliousness. My  first  impression  on  seeing  Mr.  Lin- 
coln was  that  he  was  ungainly,  awkward  and  ugly.  Mem- 
ory recalls  him  as  being  rugged,  strong,  plain  and  kind. 

One  beautiful  spring  morning  in  1864,  as  the  President 
returned  from  his  morning  visit  to  the  War  Department, 
he  found  a  group  of  school  children  playing  on  the  north 
portico  of  the  White  House.  The  news  from  the  front 
had  evidently  been  satisfactory  and  the  President  was 
bright  and  cheerful.  He  stopped,  called  the  children 
around  him  and  for  several  minutes  talked  pleasantly 
with  them,  looked  at  their  books,  questioned  them  about 
their  studies  and  said  pleasant,  quaint  and  humorous 
things.  His  manner  was  not  that  of  condescension,  but 
rather  of  comradeship.  The  children  crowded  round  him 
as  if  he  had  been  their  elder  brother. 

When  Mr.  Lincoln  delivered  his  second  inaugural  ad- 
dress I  had  the  privilege  of  standing  within  twenty  feet 
of  him.  His  voice  was  singularly  clear  and  penetrating. 
It  had  a  sort  of  metallic  ring.  His  enunciation  was  per- 
fect. There  was  an  immense  crowd  of  people  surround- 
ing the  east  front  of  the  Capitol,  but  it  seemed  as  if  his 
voice  would  reach  the  entire  audience.  It  had  rained  a 
great  deal  during  the  forenoon,  and  clouds  overcast  the 
sky  as  the  presidential  party  and  the  Senate  came  out  on 


30  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

the  east  portico.  \Miile  the  ceremonies  were  in  progress 
the  clouds  suddenly  parted,  and,  although  it  was  about 
midday.  \^enus  was  seen  clearly  shining  in  the  blue  sky. 
The  attention  of  the  immense  throng  was  directed  to  it. 
The  superstitious  ones,  and  some  who  were  not  so  super- 
stitious, as  they  listened  to  that  wonderful  address,  were 
impressed  with  the  thought  that  the  appearance  of  the 
star  might  be  an  omen  of  the  hoped-for  peace,  of  which 
Mr.  Lincoln  spoke  with  such  wistful  pathos. 

General  Lee  surrendered  to  General  Grant  on  the  9th 
day  of  April,  1865.  The  word  reached  the  War  Depart- 
ment and  was  given  out  on  Monday,  the  10th  day  of 
April.  At  that  time  I  was  on  detached  duty  in  the  adju- 
tant-general's office,  our  rooms  being  in  the  Thompson 
building,  on  the  west  side  of  Seventeenth  street,  opposite 
the  Corcoran  Art  Gallery.  The  day  was  v.arm  and  the 
windows  were  open.  \\'e  heard  a  shout,  followed  imme- 
diately by  cheering.  AA^e  looked  from  the  open  window 
toward  the  War  Department  and  saw  evidence  of  great 
excitement.  A  voice  rang  out :  "Lee  has  surrendered." 
I  know  of  no  language  sufficient  to  describe  the  scene 
that  followed.  In  every  direction  the  shout  could  be 
heard.  "Lee  has  surrendered."  Men  yelled,  screamed, 
shouted,  cheered,  laughed  and  wept.  Xo  one  thought  of 
doing  business.  A  crowd  gathered  in  front  of  the  War 
Department.  A  band  appeared  from  somewhere  and 
commenced  playing  patriotic  airs.  In  response  to  calls, 
Secretary  Stanton,  Adjutant-General  Townsend,  Vice- 
President  Andrew  Johnson,  Preston  King,  Montgomery 
Blair  and  others  made  speeches.  That  of  Andrew  John- 
son was  bitter  and  vindictive.  One  expression  I  can  never 
forget.  It  was :  "And  what  shall  be  done  with  the  lead- 
ers of  the  rebel  host?     I  know  what  I  would  do  if  I  were 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  31 

President.  I  would  arrest  them  as  traitors ;  I  would  try 
them  as  traitors,  and,  by  the  Eternal,  I  would  hang  them 
as  traitors."  His  manner  and  his  language  impressed  me 
the  rnore  because  of  its  contrast  with  the  temperate  man- 
ner and  language  of  President  Lincoln. 

Some  one  in  the  crowd  shouted :  "To  the  White 
House !"  The  crowd  surged  in  that  direction  and  began 
calling  for  the  President.  He  appeared  at  an  upper  win- 
dow, just  west  of  the  portico.  His  appearance  was  the 
signal  for  cheering  that  continued  for  many  minutes, 
with  shouts  of  "Speech !  Speech !"  He  raised  his  hand 
and  the  crowd  stilled. 

He  said :  "My  friends,  you  want  a  speech,  but  I  can 
not  make  one  at  this  time.  Undue  importance  might  be 
given  to  what  I  should  say.  I  must  take  time  to  think. 
If  you  will  come  here  to-morrow  evening  I  will  have 
something  to  say  to  you.  There  is  one  thing  I  will  do, 
however.  You  have  a  band  with  you.  There  is  one 
piece  of  music  I  have  always  liked.  Heretofore  it  has 
not  seemed  the  proper  thing  to  use  it  in  the  North ;  but 
now,  by  virtue  of  my  prerogative  as  President  and  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  army  and  navy,  I  declare  it  contra- 
band of  war  and  our  lawful  prize.  I  ask  the  band  to  play 
'Dixie.'  "  Again  the  crowd  went  wild,  and  for  probably 
the  first  time  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  the  tune  of 
"Dixie"  was  greeted  with  cheers  from  Union  throats. 

It  was  evident  he  was  acting  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment  when  he  called  upon  the  band  to  play  the  South- 
ern air.  The  act  was  significant  and  characteristic.  It 
illustrated  forcibly  one  of  the  dififerences  between  the 
character  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  that  of  Andrew  Johnson. 
Mr.  Johnson's  first  thought  was  of  vengeance.  Mr.  Lin- 
coln's first  thought  was  evidently  one  of  peace  and  recon- 


32  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

ciliation,  and  of  how  best  to  heal  the  wounds  of  war. 
Thenceforth  the  North  and  South  were  one,  and  his  im- 
pulsive acceptance  of  the  music  of  the  South  was  a  tender 
of  the  olive  branch. 

The  next  evening  the  President,  according  to  his  prom- 
ise, made  that  which  proved  to  be  his  last  public  speech. 
This  speech,  which  is  doubtless  familiar  to  all,  shows 
that  even  in  that  moment  of  victory  Mr.  Lincoln  had  in 
mind  the  smarting  wounds  of  both  victor  and  vanquished, 
and  was  already  grappling  the  problem  of  reconciliation. 
On  Friday  night  of  that  week  he  was  shot. 

Other  memories  come  to  me  out  of  those  far  away 
years, — memories  of  Lincoln  and  of  those  about  him ; 
memories  that  would  long  ago  have  been  lost  in  the  ocean 
of  forgetfulness,  but  for  their  association  with  him.  Of 
most  of  these  incidents  I  speak  from  personal  knowledge 
and  personal  recollection.  The  others  I  know  as  soldiers 
generally  come  to  know  the  daily  happenings  within  the 
observation  of  their  comrades  as  they  are  talked  over  in 
their  quarters  or  around  their  camp  fires.  Knowledge  of 
facts  thus  acquired  rises  above  mere  hearsay,  and  in  a 
real  sense  becomes  a  part  of  the  common  knowledge  of 
all. 

History  tells  us  of  Early's  raid  in  the  summer  of  1864, 
and  of  his  attack  on  the  defenses  of  Washington,  but  the 
picture  as  drawn  by  history  lacks  in  detail.  History 
tells  of  the  days  of  anxiety  because  of  the  inadequate 
manning  of  the  city's  defenses,  the  troops  having  been 
sent  to  reinforce  Grant  in  front  of  Petersburg.  But  his- 
tory does  not  tell  how  ]\Ir.  Lincoln  personally  visited  the 
fortifications,  informed  himself  as  to  their  defensive  con- 
dition and  as  to  the  troops  available  for  resisting  an  at- 
tack by  the  gray-clad  raiders.     Nor  does  history  tell,  as 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  33 

the  Union  Light  Guard  and  others  present  at  the  time 
can  tell,  of  that  July  day  when  Early  made  his  attack  on 
Fort  Stevens,  and  of  how  Mr.  Lincoln,  improving  his 
first  and  only  opportunity  to  see  a  real  battle,  watched 
the  fighting,  standing  on  the  parapet  of  the  fort  exposed 
to  the  fire  not  only  of  the  Confederate  skirmishers  but 
of  the  Confederate  sharpshooters  who  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  Blair  mansion  and  fired  from  its  windows  until 
the  shells  from  the  fort  passing  through  and  exploding  in 
the  house  sent  them  scurrying  for  better  shelter.  Mr. 
Lincoln,  apparently  unmindful  of  or  indifferent  to  his 
danger  from  the  enemy's  bullets  that  were  sending  up 
little  spurts  and  puffs  of  dust  as  they  thudded  into  the 
embankment  on  which  he  stood,  paid  no  heed  to  the  re- 
monstrances of  those  around,  and  calmly  suggested  that 
he  was  only  taking  the  chance  that  thousands  of  others 
were  taking  daily  at  his  command.  After  an  officer  stand- 
ing near  him  was  stricken  down,  the  general  officer  in 
immediate  command,  thoroughly  alarmed  for  Mr.  Lin- 
coln's safety,  with  something  of  sternness  admonished 
him  that  his  life  was  too  valuable  to  the  country  at  large 
to  justify  such  exposure,  and  notwithstanding  Mr.  Lin- 
coln was,  as  President,  his  commander-in-chief,  because 
of  his  personal  responsibility  he  ordered  him  to  retire  to 
a  position  of  less  danger,  which  Mr.  Lincoln  did  with  ob- 
vious reluctance. 

Memory  also  recalls  some  other  things  in  that  connec- 
tion that  serve  to  suggest  that  the  muckrakers  of  to-day 
were  probably  whelped  from  the  curs  that  snarled  at  Lin- 
coln's heels,  and  that  our  yellow  newspapers  can  claim 
no  pre-eminence  in  mendacity  over  the  rebel  sympathiz- 
ing papers  of  1864. 

At  the  very  hour  when  Lincoln  was  coolly  listening 


34  Z/A' COLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

to  the  hum  of  Confederate  bullets  at  Fort  Stevens,  certain 
of  these  newspapers  were  publishing  vivid  stories  telling 
of  his  cowardice  and  of  the  measures  he  had  taken  for 
his  own  safet3\  According  to  those  mendacious  dissem- 
inators of  misinformation,  he  had  shown  himself  a  craven 
coward,  had  taken  his  family  and  his  valuables  on  board 
an  ironclad  which  was  anchored  in  the  Potomac,  with 
steam  up,  and  had  made  all  preparations  for  flight  in 
case  Early  succeeded  in  capturing  the  city. 

\\'hile,  as  I  have  heretofore  said,  Mr.  Lincoln  occa- 
sionally spoke  to  and  talked  with  members  of  the  com- 
pany, I  can  only  speak  of  one  instance  where  he  made 
use  of  a  story  to  illustrate  his  point.  This  was  at  the  Sol- 
diers' Home,  when  one  of  the  boys,  speaking  for  the  com- 
pany and  encouraged  by  Mr.  Lincoln's  evident  interest  in 
their  welfare,  expressed  the  belief  that  the  company  was 
of  no  use  there  and  was  needed  at  the  front.  Mr.  Lincoln 
prefaced  a  kindly  admonition  as  to  a  soldier's  duty  to 
obey  orders  without  question,  by  saying:  "You  boys  re- 
mind me  of  a  farmer  friend  of  mine  in  Illinois,  who  said 
he  could  never  understand  why  the  Lord  put  the  curl 
in  a  pig's  tail.  It  never  seemed  to  him  to  be  either  useful 
or  ornamental,  but  he  reckoned  that  the  Almighty  knew 
what  he  was  doing  when  he  put  it  there." 

During  the  time  the  L'nion  Light  Guard  was  on  duty 
at  the  White  House,  Mr.  Lincoln's  family  consisted  of 
himself,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  and  his  two  sons,  Robert  and 
Thomas — familiarly  known  as  "Tad."  Robert  was  away 
most  of  the  time  in  college,  as  we  were  told.  Tad,  how- 
ever, was  very  much  in  evidence.  He  was  a  very  bright 
boy,  about  eleven  or  twelve  years  of  age,  with  a  keen 
sense  of  humor  and  brimming  with  mischief.  Because 
of  some  defect  in  his  vocal  organs  he  could  not  articulate 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  35 

distinctly.  That  he  could  on  occasion  make  himself  un- 
derstood, however,  was  demonstrated  at  one  of  our  Sun- 
day morning  inspections.  Tad  was  present,  dressed  in 
the  uniform  of  an  officer,  and  accompanied  Captain  Ben- 
nett during  inspection  with  the  gravity  of  a  veteran.  In- 
spection over,  Captain  Bennett  took  position  in  front  of 
the  company  to  deliver  his  usual  scolding.  Tad  stood  by 
his  side.  The  Captain  proceeded  to  criticise  sharply  the 
condition  of  the  quarters.  He  described  the  manner  in 
which  they  should  be  kept  and  said :  "The  condition  of 
the   quarters   is   disgraceful.      Instead   of  being   kept   as 

they  should  be  kept,  they  look  like"  At  this  point 

Tad's  shrill  voice  rang  out,  completing  the  sentence  in  a 
manner  more  pungent  than  elegant  and  quite  unprintable. 
The  effect  was  ludicrous.  The  sternness  of  the  Captain's 
face  relaxed  in  a  broad  smile,  as  he  turned  on  his  heel, 
while  the  company,  regardless  of  discipline,  burst  into 
unrebuked  laughter. 

Sitting  quietly  on  horseback  for  two  hours  on  a  cold 
night  is,  to  say  the  least,  disagreeable.  To  afford  a  little 
relief  for  the  mounted  sentinels  at  the  gates,  the  corporal 
of  the  guard  was  given  a  police  whistle  which  he  blew  at 
intervals  of  half  an  hour,  at  which  signal  the  sentinels 
would  change  places,  one  from  each  gate  starting  at  the 
signal,  meeting  and  passing  in  front  of  the  house.  As 
soon  as  they  had  taken  their  new  positions  the  other  two 
would  change  in  like  manner.  Tad  soon  noticed  this  and 
one  evening  came  to  me  and  asked  to  see  my  whistle.  I 
handed  it  to  him,  and  he  turned  and  ran  with  it  into  the 
house.  In  a  few  minutes  he  appeared  at  a  second  story 
window,  opened  it  and  blew  the  whistle.  The  men  at  the 
gates,  supposing  the  signal  was  given  by  me,  changed 
places  in  the  usual  way.     The  change  was  no  sooner  ef- 


36  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

fected  than  Tad  again  blew  the  whistle,  and  the  men 
again  changed  places.  He  kept  this  up  for  at  least  half 
an  hour,  to  the  bewilderment  of  the  sentinels,  who,  how- 
ever, enjoyed  the  change  of  program  and  the  additional 
exercise.  Presently  Tad  emerged  from  the  front  door 
carrying  the  whistle  in  one  hand  and  a  bowl  of  something 
in  the  other  hand,  which  with  a  mischievous  grin  he 
handed  to  me,  evidently  as  a  peace  offering.  The  bowl 
was  filled  with  Roman  punch.  A  state  dinner  was  being 
given  to  the  representatives  of  foreign  countries,  and  Tad 
had  levied  on  the  refreshments  for  my  benefit.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  my  personal  acquaintance  with  Tad 
Lincoln,  as  well  as  with  Roman  punch. 

In  the  summer  of  1864  a  delegation  of  the  chiefs  of  the 
Plains  Indians,  Sioux,  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes,  visited 
Washington.  My  recollection  is  that  Red  Cloud,  Spotted 
Tail  and  Crazy  Horse  were  among  the  number.  They 
were  presented  to  the  President  one  afternoon  on  the 
south  portico  of  the  White  House.  Besides  the  Presi- 
dent, there  were  present  several  members  of  the  Cabinet, 
a  few  prominent  army  officers,  and  other  more  or  less 
distinguished  personages.  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  several 
other  ladies  were  also  present.  The  chiefs  wore  their 
war  bonnets  and  were  in  full  Indian  regalia.  They  looked 
dignified  and  picturesque.  The  papers  had  published  an- 
nouncements of  the  ceremony,  and  a  large  crowd  of  peo- 
ple had  gathered  in  front  of  the  portico  to  witness  it,  and 
to  have  a  good  look  at  live,  lighting  Indians.  Several 
of  the  chiefs  made  short  speeches,  which  were  repeated 
by  the  interpreter,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  responded.  I  can  re- 
call nothing  of  the  speeches  except  that  Mr.  Lincoln's 
was  terse  and  pointed.  This  was  the  first  time  I  had 
heard  him  make  a  speech,  and  I  noted  the  peculiar  quality 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  37 

of  his  voice,  especially  its  clearness  and  its  carrying 
power.  When  the  ceremony  was  over  the  dignity  sud- 
denly fell  away  from  the  Indians,  when  several  of  them 
came  down  the  steps  of  the  portico  and  became  beggars. 
Holding  out  their  war  bonnets  bedecked  with  eagle  feath- 
ers, they,  through  their  interpreter,  asked  for  money.  I 
do  not  now  remember  what  was  assigned  as  the  reason 
for  this,  but  I  saw  many  persons  throw  money  into  the 
bonnets. 

While  spending  his  nights  at  the  Soldiers'  Home,  Mr. 
Lincoln  would  occasionally  leave  the  house  late  at  night 
and  take  long  and  solitary  walks.  Lieutenant  Ashmun 
(now  Dr.  G.  C.  Ashmun,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio),  the  only 
surviving  commissioned  officer  of  our  company,  has  fur- 
nished me  with  the  following  statement  concerning  one 
of  these  occasions. 

"In  the  autumn  of  186^1 — the  year  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  sec- 
ond election — the  escort  was  cautioned  repeatedly  to  be 
extremely  vigilant,  not  only  on  the  trips  to  and  from  the 
Old  Soldiers'  Home,  but  to  be  prepared  for  any  dis- 
turbance during  the  night  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Home. 
The  whole  company  was  kept  under  arms  with  horses 
saddled.  One  beautiful  Indian  summer  night,  about  12 
o'clock,  during  the  period  of  intense  anxiety,  as  I  was 
returning  across  the  grounds  from  a  visit  to  one  of  our 
pickets,  who  had  fired  at  something,  I  saw  a  man  walking 
alone  and  leisurely  across  the  path  I  was  taking,  and  as 
I  came  near  him  I  saw  it  was  Mr.  Lincoln.  At  an  earlier 
hour  I  would  have  kept  from  speaking,  but,  prompted 
by  anxiety,  I  said,  'Mr.  President,  isn't  it  rather  risky  to 
be  out  here  at  this  hour?'  He  answered,  'Oh,  I  guess 
not — I  couldn't  rest  and  thought  I'd  take  a  walk.'  He 
was  quite  a  distance  outside  the  line  of  infantry  guards 


38  LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD 

about  the  house  where  the  family  was  staying.  He  turned 
back  after  I  spoke  to  him,  and  I  passed  on  to  where  the 
escort  was  camped." 

The  place  where  Lieutenant  Ashmun  met  him  was 
forty  or  fifty  rods  from  the  cottage  he  occupied. 

I  have  frequently  been  asked,  where  was  Mr.  Lincoln's 
escort  on  the  night  of  his  assassination?  Why  were  they 
not  with  him  and  why  did  not  they  protect  him?  The 
answer  is — because  of  respect  for  Mr.  Lincoln's  wishes. 
Left  to  himself,  he  would  have  had  no  guard  and  no  mili- 
tary escort  at  any  time.  Spending  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  Indiana  and  Illinois,  among  people  whose  Amer- 
icanism is  so  intense  that  submission  to  the  will  of  the 
majority  is  a  corollary  to  their  love  of  country,  his  faith 
in  his  countrymen  was  such  that  notwithstanding  the 
South  had  gone  to  war  because  of  his  election,  he  could 
not  believe  that  they  would  ever  resort  to  political  mur- 
der. He  especially  resented  any  suggestion  that  there 
was  any  such  danger  while  he  was  mingling  with  tiie 
people  on  social  occasions,  or  while  he  was  visiting  the 
theaters.  Mrs.  Lincoln  did  not  share  in  this  feeling.  Her 
anxiety  was  such  that  in  the  fall  of  1864,  just  after  the 
famil}^  had  returned  for  their  winter  residence  at  the 
White  House,  she  privately  requested  that  a  detail  from 
the  L'nion  Light  Guard  should  each  night,  without  Mr. 
Lincoln's  knowledge,  be  stationed  in  the  White  House. 
At  her  request  such  a  detail  was  made,  and  for  several 
nights,  until  her  fears  were  allayed,  members  of  the 
Union  Light  Guard  remained  in  the  house  all  night,  the 
reliefs  resting  on  couches  and  on  the  floor. 

At  the  time  of  the  funeral  the  L^nion  Light  Guard,  to- 
gether with  the  company  of  infantry,  attended  without 
arms,  as  mourners,  occupying  and  almost  filling  the  Blue 


LINCOLN'S  BODY  GUARD  39 

Room.  The  two  companies  marched  behind  the  cofifin 
to  the  Capitol,  and  encircled  the  cofifin  in  the  center  of 
the  great  rotunda,  while  the  final  family  funeral  service 
was  conducted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Gurley.  The  only  persons 
within  the  circle  thus  formed  were  the  officiating  clergy, 
Robert  T.  Lincoln,  the  members  of  the  Cabinet,  and  a 
few  general  officers.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  rotunda  will 
ever  again  present  so  impressive  a  spectacle,  or  one  so 
deeply  touching  to  the  hearts  of  the  Arnerican  people. 
Although  almost  half  a  century  has  passed,  the  memory 
of  that  time  lingers,  and  I  feel  certain  that  no  more  sin- 
cere mourners  gathered  around  the  bier  or  lamented  the 
death  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  that  the  men  who  had  so  long 
stood  guard  over  him,  and  who,  as  I  believe,  to  a  man 
would  willingly  have  given  their  own  lives  to  have  saved  his. 


■'f 


•^ 


*•♦» 


Indiana  Historical  Society  Publications 

CONTENTS   OP   VOL.    I 
Proceedings  of  the  Society.,  1830-1 88G. 
Northwest  Territory. 

Letter  of  Nathan  Dane  concerning  the  Ordinance  of  1787. 
Governor   Patrick   Henry's   Secret  Letter  of  Instruction  to 
George  Rogers  Clarlc. 
The  Uses  of  History.     By  President  Andrew  Wylie,  D.  D. 
The  National  Decline  of  the  Miami  Indians.     By  John  B. 

Dillon. 
Early  History  of  Indianapolis  and  Central  Indiana.     By 

Nathaniel  Bolton. 
Joseph  G.  Marshall.     By  Prof.  John  L.  Campbell. 
Judge  John  Law.     By  Charles  Denby. 
Archaeology  of  Indiana.     By  Prof.  E.  T.  Cox. 


No. 

No. 

1. 

No. 
No. 

3. 

4. 

No. 

5. 

N.o 
No. 
No. 

6. 

7. 
8. 

No. 

1 

No. 

o 

No. 
No. 

3 

4 

APPENDIX. 
No.     9.     The   Early    Settlement   of   the    Miami   Country.      By    Dr. 
Ezra  Ferris. 


CONTENTS   OF  VOL.   II 

The  Laws  and  Courts   of  Northwest  and  Indiana  Terri- 
tories.     By   Daniel    Wait   Howe. 
The  Life  and  Services  of  J'ohn  B.  Dillon.     By  Gen.  John 

Coburn  and  Judge  Horace  P.  Biddle. 
The  Acquisition  of  Louisiana.     By  Judge  Thomas  M.  Cooley. 
Loughery's  Defeat  and  Pigeon  Roost  Massacre.     By  Charles 
Martindale. 

No.     5.     A  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  the  Official  Publications  of 
the  Territory  and  State  of  Indiana  from  1800  to  1890. 
By  Daniel   Wait  Howe. 
No.     6.     The  Rank  of  Charles  Osborn  as  an  Anti-Slavery  Pioneer. 

By   George   W.   Julian. 
No.     7.     The  Man  in  History.     By  John  Clark  Ridpath. 
No.     8.     OuiATANON.     By  Oscar  J.  Craig. 
No.     9.     Reminiscences  of  a  Journey  to  Indianapolis  in  1836.     By 

C.   P.    Ferguson. 
No.  10.     Life  of  Ziba  Foote.     By  Samuel  Morrison. 

"Old  Settlers."     By  Robert  P.  Duncan. 
No.  11.     French  Settlements  on  the  Wabash.    By  Jacob  Piatt  Dunn. 
No.   12.     Slavery  Petitions  and  Papers.     By  Jacob  Piatt  Dunn. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  HI 

No.     1.     A  History  of  Early  Indianapolis  Masonry  and  of  Center 

Lodge.      By  Will    E.    English. 
No.     2.     Sieur  de  Vincennes^  the  Founder  of  Indiana's  Oldest  Town. 

By  Edraond  Mallet. 
No.     3.     The  Executive  Journal  of  Indiana  Territory.     Edited  and 

annotated  by  William  Wesley  Woollen,  Daniel  Wait  Howe, 

and  Jacob  Piatt  Dunn. 
No.     4.     The  Mission  to  the  Ouabache.     By  Jacob  Piatt  Dunn,  pp.  78. 
No.     5.     Fifty  Years  in  Pharmacy.     By  George  W.  Sloan,  pp.  27. 
No.     6.     Caleb  Mills.     By  Chas.  W.  Moores,  pp.  280. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  IV. 

No.     1.     Diary  of  Wm.  Owen.     Edited  by  Joel  W.  Hiatt. 

No.     2.     The  Word  "Hoosier."     By  Jacob  Piatt  Dunn. 
John  Finley.     By  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Wrigley. 

No.     3.     William  Henry  Harrison's  Administration  of  Indiana  Ter- 
ritory.    By  Homer  J.  Webster,  A.  M.,  Ph.   M. 

No.     4.     Making   a   Capital    in    the    Wilderness.      By    Daniel    Walt 
Howe. 

No.     5.     Names  of  Persons  Enumerated  in  Marion  County,  Indiana, 
at  the  Fifth.  Census.  1830. 

No.     6.     Some  Elements  of  Indiana's  Population  ;   or  Roads  West, 
and  Their  Early  Travelers.    By  W.  E.  Henry. 

No.     7.     Lockerbie's  Assessment  List  of  Indianapolis,  1835.     Edited 
by  Eliza  G.  Browning. 

No.     8.     The    Scotch-Irish    Presbyterians    in    Monroe    County,   In- 
diana.    By  James  Albert  Woodburn. 

No.     9.     Indianapolis  and  the  Civil  War.     By  John  H.  Holliday. 


Uniform  volumes,  8vo  cloth,  uncut,  with  continuous  paging  and 
complete  index.  The  earlier  numbers  have  been  reset  in  the  same 
style  as  the  later  ones  and  the  volumes  are  now  uniform  throughout. 


THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 

Publisher*  for  the  Society  INDIANAPOLIS 


